The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-17
The GEORGIA PACIFIC
OMPLETED TO COLUMBUS, MISS
AND RUNSING TRAINS,
Gives a Great Impetus to Indus.
tries and 10 the Development
Of Town AID Country.
SPECIAL eoRREsrexprScE oy THE APPEAL.

cifc railroad between this place and
Birmingham brings Columbus out
from the rather out of the way" po-
sition as regards railroad access she
has heretofore occupied, perhaps
short sketch of the place would be of
interest to some Of your readers.
Columbus is situated on the east.
ern bank Of the Tombigbee river
few miles west Of the Alabama State
line and fourteen miles east OF the
main stem Of the Mobile and Ohio
railroad. 1t is on the very last ridge
of the hills that run back in north
easterly direction until they join the
chain Of the Cumberland mountains.
This ridge terminates in bluff,
which forms the western bank OF che
Tombigboe river aud is about 100
feet above the water line. This
ridge slopes gradually to the east for
ono mile and is ended by the Luxa-
palila, a stream about half as large as
the Tombigbeo river, and one of the
most beauniul streams in the South.
The Georgia Pacific railroad, just
completed, gives a direct line North
and East, connecting at Birmingham
with the Louisville and Nashville,
the Alabama and Great Southern,
and the Kansas City, Memphis and
Birmingham railways.
The Mobile and Ohio railroad has
a branch TO this place, and com
pany has been formed, composed of
and managed by Columbus people
entirely, to build a new road to be
known as the Tombigbee railroad,
from Columbus, to connect with the
Kansas City road, thirty miles north
cast of here, and penetrating the
rich coal and iron fields of Alabama.
Engineers are already in the field
locating the road, and as soon as the
survey is finished work will be begun
at once, aud the road pushed to COM
pletiOn.
Among the enterprises which give
Columbus especial importance, are a
first class cotton compress with q
capacity OF 600 bales per day, cotton
seed and castor oil mills, gristmills,
machine shops and founderies, q
large tannery, broom factory, and a
cotton factory with q capital stock Of
100000 is being erected A street
car company has been organized to
run from the Georgia Pacific depot
to the Gilmer Hotel, and thence to
the compress.
Columbus, the county seat Of
Lowndes county, is the garden spot
of the State, and will compare favor
ably with any place Of its size in the
South. II has a population number
ing between 5000 and 1000 souls, and
growing larger every year. 1t is a
typical Southern city, and is keeping
abreast with larger places in the
steady, onward march of the new aud
prosperous South. It's principal in
terests are agriculture, manufactur-
ing and cotton trade, OF which it il
the acknowledged center for this SEQ
ton Of the country. The things tina
FIRST impress the stranger are the
beautiful residences, the lovely cot
tage homes surrounded by flower
gardens, and the beauty and regu'
larity of the streets, which are broad
straight and we'll kept, most of them
lined on each side with lovely shade
trees, with thirty-five miles ballasted
with the best gravel. The drainage
is splendid, and scarcely any assist.
ance has to be given to nature. MUD
and slush are almost entirely un'
known. The soil is sandy and q few
hours after the hardest rain the
streets are almost entirely dry.
There are two first class banks
the Columbus Insurance and Bank
ing Company, with a capital of $500,
600, and the First National Bank
with SIS, 900 capital aud n surplus o.
$4,000. There is over $500, 900 OF
deposit in these banks subject Il
check. There are two papers here
the indea and tho Dispatch, botl
tri weekly and published on alter
nate days, giving Columbus u paper
every day in the week except Mon
day There are eight white churches
Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal, Pres
byterian, Cumberland, Christian
Catholic aud Jewish Synagogue
which indicate the character of thu
population of the place. The fiuan
cial condition of the city is excellen
and her warrants are taken Mt fact
value at all times. The water work.
are supplied from an artesian wei
that runs stream four inches il
diameter, the water being of thu
purest character. There are thirty
FIVE OF these artesian wells in the CITY
limits.
No city in the South eau boast o
better school facilities than can Col
umbus. The public schools for boil
white and black continue for min,
months during the year, are con
veniently located, and are fully up il
all the improved methods of teach
ing The Industrial Institute anC
College for white girls is the mos
important Of all, and is, in fact, tn
leading school for girls in the South
Although this is only its second SEES
sion, IL is crowded to its utmost ca
paoity, and fully 200 girls have ap
lllNu iOI auhl lhaluu WIN CDulu uOI "
accommodated. Mai. r. w. Jones
who is president of the institution
is q teacher of wide reputation, hay
ing been professor in the State Uni
versity at Oxford, and in sever,
other colleges of national reputation
The Industrial Institute and Col
lege, under his management, hI
been a greater success than even il
most enthusiastic friends dared hop
1t is not only the pride Of Columbu
but Of tho whole State.
Columbus is only 100 miles froI
the heart of the Alabama coal an
iron fields. One mile from the eli
are gravel beds whose supply is a
most inexhaustible. Two mil
west, limestone Of the finest quail
form tho under strata of the prair
lands that extend for miles and mil
north, south and west. The Tor
biRbee river is nuvigable about 5
months during the year, ADD is
material factor in securing low rat
nj freights from the railroads.
n = ....,.s not fnrUat thu Gra 4